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The document examines the 'digital divide' in the U.S., where rural and tribal areas lack high-speed internet access due to high deployment costs, limited competition, and affordability issues. It highlights how broadband is a prerequisite for smart home devices, precision agriculture, and smart grids, which can reduce energy use by 12–22%. The brief details various deployment initiatives by municipalities, tribal governments, and electric cooperatives, while reviewing federal funding programs and recent legislation aimed at achieving universal broadband access.

The document advises US cities and communities to leverage existing federal funding opportunities to accelerate the clean energy transition. It highlights that the Biden Administration is integrating climate mitigation and racial equity into federal programs through initiatives like Justice40. The briefing recommends three strategies: understanding current funding landscapes via tools like the FFOLD tool, embedding environmental justice into project designs to increase competitiveness, and seeking funds from non-climate agencies such as those focused on health and economic development.

The Clean Air Task Force views the House's approval of the $3.5 trillion Budget Resolution and the rule for the $1 trillion infrastructure bill as positive steps toward investing in the clean energy economy and addressing climate change.

The policy brief proposes that Indonesia adopt a coal tax of IDR 78,700 (USD 5.50) per tonne, similar to India's model, to address the fact that coal accounts for 40% of the country's energy-related emissions. Such a tax would generate approximately IDR 49 trillion (USD 3.6 billion) annually, which could fund clean energy investments and support vulnerable households and coal workers. The author emphasizes that this is a simpler, faster alternative to complex carbon pricing systems and would help mitigate the 7,480 premature deaths caused annually by air pollution from coal-fired power stations.

A meta-analysis of eight recent studies indicates that the United States can achieve approximately 80% clean electricity by 2030 at minimal cost. The findings suggest that such a transition would drive 500,000 to 1 million net new jobs, avoid up to $3 trillion in health and climate damages by 2050, and is essential for meeting the Biden administration's GHG emissions reduction targets. The analysis concludes that a strong national clean electricity standard (CES) is the most effective policy mechanism, primarily driving the deployment of wind, solar, and battery storage.

The report analyzes the value chain of wind and solar projects to identify which components are suitable for local production versus global sourcing. It argues that while highly centralized components like solar modules and wind turbines are best imported to keep costs low, significant economic opportunities exist in localizing structures, towers, and electrical subsystems. Through case studies of countries like Mauritius, Namibia, Cambodia, and the Philippines, the report demonstrates how different tariff strategies—ranging from revenue generation to industry protection—impact renewable energy deployment and suggests that international cooperation to reduce trade barriers on environmental goods can accelerate the energy transition.

The document traces the evolution of climate change within U.S. National Security Strategies from 1991 to 2017, noting a shift from viewing it as a distant foreign threat to an urgent domestic and global security risk. It argues that while the Department of Defense has led in addressing these risks, congressional funding for military installation resilience remains insufficient. The authors recommend that the next NSS expand its scope beyond the energy sector to include 'ecological security'—addressing biodiversity loss and ocean health—and incorporate non-linear planetary thresholds and sophisticated environmental monitoring to better forecast systemic risks.

The document argues that the US power sector faces a critical investment window between 2020 and 2030, with an estimated 420 GW of resource procurement needed. It advocates for a shift toward 'all-source', 'objective-aligned', and 'least-regrets' procurement practices to move away from legacy processes that reflect past conditions rather than emerging trends. The guide provides specific actionable recommendations for legislators, state commissions, and utilities to increase transparency, engage stakeholders, and better integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) into the planning and procurement cycle.

Earthjustice and Vote Solar successfully challenged several utility proposals in New Mexico to protect the growth of rooftop solar and prevent fossil fuel expansion. Key actions include blocking El Paso Electric's attempt to create a separate, higher rate class for solar customers in 2015 and defeating a rate hike by Southwestern Public Service Company in 2016. Additionally, in 2021, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission denied El Paso Electric's application to expand the Newman Generating Station, avoiding a projected $160 million cost to ratepayers.

RMI proposes four strategic programs to guide US economic recovery toward a zero-carbon future: a large-scale building retrofit program, investments in electrified and sustainable mobility, debt forgiveness tied to emissions reductions, and the creation of a federal facility to finance clean energy and infrastructure.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) asserts that climate change cannot be effectively addressed without first tackling systemic inequality and injustice. The organization emphasizes that the costs of climate action must not fall unfairly on marginalized groups, and the benefits of a clean energy economy must be shared broadly. EESI highlights its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through initiatives such as supporting on-bill financing for low-income rural families and focusing on the resilience of marginalized coastal communities affected by pollution and environmental disasters.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) confirms that its efforts to advance federal climate policy and provide technical assistance for clean energy financing through the Access Clean Energy Savings Program remain active during the COVID-19 crisis. The organization emphasizes the need for science-informed federal action for both the pandemic and climate change, noting that piecemeal local responses to the coronavirus mirror the fragmented nature of climate action. To maintain operations and staff safety, EESI has transitioned to online briefings, implemented all-telework guidance, and cancelled staff travel.

The document asserts that low-income and minority communities disproportionately suffer from negative environmental impacts and that the transition to a decarbonized economy must embed environmental justice to ensure no one is left behind. It highlights the importance of centering the lived experiences of impacted residents, citing the Green Door Initiative's efforts to provide workforce training for brownfield cleanup in Detroit and the LA SAFE program's community-centered resilience work in coastal Louisiana.

In January 2020, the EESI Board of Directors adopted a resolution designating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as core organizational values. The resolution acknowledges that climate change disproportionately burdens marginalized groups and establishes a Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to guide policy development and ensure accountability.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and 660 residents oppose Eversource's plan to install a high-voltage substation in East Boston. They cite the site's proximity to an 8 million-gallon jet fuel tank and a playground, as well as the risk of chronic inundation by 2100 due to sea level rise. The UCS contends that Eversource has not provided transparent data or a cost-benefit analysis of cleaner, more resilient alternatives, and requests that the Energy Facilities Siting Board withhold approval until these requirements are met.

The policy brief contends that new natural gas capacity is a primary driver of increased grid emissions in the US and that avoiding 90% of proposed gas plants could save electricity customers over $29 billion. It advocates for a transition to 'clean energy portfolios'—combinations of wind, solar, batteries, demand flexibility, and energy efficiency—to support economy-wide decarbonization and meet international climate targets.

The Union of Concerned Scientists and a coalition of stakeholders established six policy principles for energy storage to ensure the transition to clean energy benefits disadvantaged and frontline communities. These principles focus on reducing emissions, improving disaster resilience, promoting local economic development through job training, accelerating renewable energy deployment, protecting consumers from high costs, and ensuring transparent community participation in project planning.

RMI research indicates that clean energy portfolios are now cost-competitive with new natural gas power plants. Consequently, over $70 billion in planned gas-fired power plant construction and $30 billion in new interstate pipelines face significant stranded cost risks, as these assets may become uneconomic by 2035 and lead to increased gas delivery costs.

The document outlines why leading environmental groups oppose the NAFTA 2.0 deal, citing its failure to prevent pollution offshoring, its continued support for fossil fuel dependency, and the preservation of corporate rights to challenge environmental regulations.

The We Mean Business Coalition argues that vague NDCs hinder the ability of the private sector to invest in a clean energy economy. The coalition calls for the standardization of data—including base years, target years, and IPCC methodologies—and requests clarity on the domestic legislation and financial measures intended to implement these targets to ensure a just transition and a predictable regulatory environment.